In Search of the Lost: The Revival of a Dream
by PurpleFluffyMuffin
Summary: Konohana and Bluebell were once peaceful villages, but nothing lasts forever. Both villages must search for a means of re-achieving the happiness they once had after a series of disheartening events. The villages are on the verge of falling apart, but that does not mean things have to say this way forever. With some support from each other, the villages can handle anything.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello, everybody!^^ This is the first piece of fanfiction I have EVER written; if it's bad, please just say so, and I'll try to make it better-I promise! **

**Anyway, I decided to do this fanfiction about the change of both Konohana and Bluebell after a good ten years or so. In this chapter, I focused completely on Konohana (Sorry, Bluebell fans!). I haven't decided yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll also be focusing primarily on Konohana in the next chapter as well. Regardless, I'll get to Bluebell eventually!**

**I really hope you guys like this.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns, or anything from Harvest Moon, for that matter. This is for entertainment purposes only.**

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The remainder of the endless piles of snowflakes that had made their way onto the ground had finally melted, and Spring was finally there in the small town of Konohana. The villagers were no longer nestling themselves in the warmth of their homes, for the fresh breath of spring invited the villagers to consume themselves in the vast wonders of the outdoors.

Of course, Rahi and Ying also had full intentions of enjoying the freshness of Spring. They were older now, and they had spent several springs living in Konohana. Rahi's family had served as mayors in the small town for generations, so Rahi had never experienced life outside the small town. Sadly, his father died at a young age, and he was raised by his mother, Ina. She was as caring as you could expect any mother to be, but she took everything very seriously. Ying, unlike Rahi, moved to Konohana when she was just a small child. She was very sick as a child, so she was forced to live in Konohana with her grandmother, where the air was fresher, and she had some chance of replenishing her health.

Despite the different circumstances that brought them together in the small village, they were the best of friends as children, and they spent practically every moment they could together. Eventually, the two grew to be perfectly well-off teens, and their feelings for each other managed to manifest themselves into something more, something not too far beyond the scope of a child's imagination-love. They were both sixteen years old when Rahi finally confessed his feelings for his beloved Ying, and the two had been together since. Once they acknowledged each other's feelings, life seemed to be going impeccably smoothly for what seemed to be the longest time. However, they both grew into the adults that everyone knew they would eventually become, and life would no longer be quite as simple and carefree as it once was; at least not for a while.

Soon enough, Rahi was about to make his way out of the Town Hall. Being the mayor's son, he prided himself in his work at the Town Hall, although he was never given any major tasks to complete. Ina would usually give him stacks of papers with information about the village's affairs to organize. Then, he was usually asked to reorganize the books on the shelves at the Town Hall. Rahi was very fortunate, for he usually got the weekends off. Ying, on the other hand, helped Yun at her tea house. She usually only received Saturdays off, but would sometimes have to work on Saturdays if things got too busy. Despite how busy the tea house was, Yun was a jolly woman, despite her years, who always made time to help any of the villagers however she could; especially her own granddaughter-Ying. Ying was Yun's pride and joy, and Yun was honored to be given the privilege to contribute to the upbringing of some of the next generation of Konohana folk.

It was Sunday afternoon. Rahi had the day off, as usual. Luckily for Ying, Yun decided to be generous and give her the day off.

"I gotta go. See ya later, Mom," Rahi said as he headed from the Town Hall.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Ina questioned. She loved Rahi dearly, but sometimes he was so negligent as to forget to tell his own mother where he was even going.

"I told Ying we would be going on a date today," he explained. "It's the perfect day for a date. The sun is shining, and it's not scorching hot outside. Besides, I have the day off, and Yun already said that she would give Ying have the day off today."

"Very well then, just be home by seven. You wouldn't want me to have to make you do extra paperwork around here for making me worry so much," Ina warned.

"I will," Rahi rushed as he closed the door behind him.

After a short walk past the Town Hall, Rahi finally arrived as Yun's Tea House. It was a fairly small place, especially for a restaurant, but nonetheless, it was certainly cozy. Rahi waited outside the door for Ying to come out. He did not have to wait long.

"See you later Grandma," Ying shouted as she left the tea house. Yun was getting older, and this was starting to take its toll on her hearing.

"Hello Ying," Rahi greeted. "You look pretty today."

"Thank you," Ying replied as her cheeks began to flush of bright red.

"So, do you still want to… ummm…." Rahi hesitated. He was twiddling his thumbs as his nervousness began to set in.

"Go on a date?" Ying asked as she let out a small giggle. She was feeling much better now that she was not the only one feeling a twinge of embarrassment.

"Yeah," Rahi choked.

"Of course," Ying answered.

The two decided to go on a walk in the mountain. There was nothing quite like the refreshing mountainous landscape and the vivid greenery of a spring day. The two chatted for a while as they continued to walk up the mountain. Their nerves finally calmed down, and they were able to enjoy each other's company. The two had just made it up to the Konohana mid-mountain area. They were walking at a steady pace, for they were certainly in no hurry to leave to each other's side.

Unfortunately, all was not well for the two lovebirds for long. Dr. Ayame came rushing up the mountain. She made it about a hundred feet away from Rahi and Ying.

"Rahi! You have to hurry back to the village!" Dr. Ayame was shouting desperately at this point.

Rahi was not quite sure what was going on, but he ran as quickly as he could behind Dr. Ayame. Ying was also scared, but chose to run and follow Rahi despite her fears.

They finally made it to Dr. Ayame's clinic. His mother was lay in one of the beds, looking surprisingly ill. There was already a crowd of all of the Konohana townspeople surrounding her bed, and Hiro was rushing around her, grabbing medical supplies left and right as he did his best to save her. Finally, Hiro let out a deep breath.

"There isn't much we can do," Hiro stated, as he let out, what seemed to be, a sad sigh.

"Just as I thought," Dr. Ayame said as she let out a slight gulp.

Rahi looked at his mother's face, astonished. The same woman who appeared perfectly fine not too long ago was now lying on her death bed. Rahi did not have to ask Dr. Ayame what was wrong with her; it did not really matter. She looked so frail and lifeless. Rahi watched as she breathed. Her breaths were slow, and she appeared to struggle as she took in each breath.

At that point, Rahi was crying. Ying also found herself in tears. The villagers stood in awe, silent, and Dr. Ayame was lost for words. Everyone in the village was relatively healthy, so Dr. Ayame was not quite sure how to handle being the bearer of bad news.

"I'm terribly sorry," Dr. Ayame said in a hushed voice. Dr. Ayame was almost in tears herself. "This just happened so suddenly."

Rahi found himself in Ying's arms.

"I'm not quite sure what exactly happened," Dr. Ayame began, "But I am guessing that she may have had a heart attack."

Rahi was not listening. He continued to cry in the comfort of Ying's arms. Suddenly, his mother finally opened her eyes.

"Rahi," his mother spoke in a soft whisper, "You must watch over the villagers."

Rahi removed himself from the safety of Ying's embrace. "But Mom, I don't know how," he answered, "I can't!" He was shouting; he was getting hysterical. The tears continued to pour down his face as he watched his mother on her death bed. He was then back in Ying's arms.

"You have to. I would have never asked you to if I knew you were not capable," she responded. "Our family has been mayors in this village for generations. You grew up in this village, so you must do your utmost best to honor our village."

"But Mom, you can't go!" Rahi was screaming. "I need you here! The village needs you! We can't go on without you! You can fight this! You have to!" The tears were streaming harder down Rahi's cheeks.

After that, he watched his mother take her final breath. Rahi was now at a deep loss. He lost one the most important people in his life. Worst of all, he had to watch her moments of agony as he watched her go on.

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Several days had passed after Ina's sudden and tragic death. The funeral was over, but the village at a standstill. Rahi was still receiving letters in the mail from the all the villagers who chose to give their condolences. Fortunately for Rahi, the villagers were still trying to recover from their loss, so they remained indoors a good portion of the time. Most of the villagers just went outside long enough to water their spring crops. Yun had closed her tea house during the days following Ina's death. Life was looking dull for Konohana during the season of refined hope.

A week after the funeral, Ying finally decided that it was time to visit the Town Hall. As she approached the door to the Town Hall, she gave it a few good knocks. They were not terribly loud, for Ying was not quite sure how well Rahi was recouping. Normally, the door would have been unlocked, and the Town Hall would have been buzzing with villagers eager to hear some juicy Konohana gossip. Instead, the village and its new mayor were in a slump, and things needed to pick up-fast.

Rahi opened the door. He was still in his pajamas, and his eyes were watered down with his tears. His hair was all knotted together, and it was obvious that his own state of grief and self-pity were really starting to cause him to set his personal hygiene aside. The Town Hall was a mess, and there was no way any villager would have wanted to be seen stopping by there. Ying stood there for a moment, as Rahi let her inside. At first, she could only find herself starring at the filth that had piled up inside. There were stacks of papers on the desk waiting to be organized. She also noticed the bookshelves. It looked as though all of the books had, at some point, been taken off their shelves, then shoved carelessly back in. All the furniture was covered in dust, and the floor needed a good sweeping. After she was able to fully grasp what her eyes were seeing, she finally began to remember what she came there for. She was trying to find the words that she so desperately needed to say to Rahi at the moment.

Finally, she braced herself, and looked at Rahi straight in the eye. "I'm so sorry Rahi," she began. Rahi still looked depressed, but Ying decided that it was about time she took matters into her own hands. She figured that if she did not, the village may stay in a disoriented slump forever. She continued, "I know it must be so hard to have lost so much. You lost your dad when you were just a kid. And now, you no longer have your mom by your side." Just talking about Rahi's sad life was starting to make Ying sad herself. Ying was crying at this point.

"Ying, don't have to do this. I just need some time to figure stuff out, that's all." Rahi retorted.

"But Rahi, this village is going into shackles. No one is leaving their homes," Ying went on, still with tears in her eyes. "They're all in the same slump you're in, and unless you take charge, everyone in this village just might feel hopeless forever. You have to reassure them. You have to guide them. You have to start running this village again."

Rahi stared at Ying as her words began to sink in. She was right. He had to do something. He was the leader of this village now. He was sitting in a slump during the time when the villagers needed him the most.

"You're right," Rahi agreed. The tears were gone from his eyes, and he then barged into his room, where he quickly grabbed a fresh change of clothes and combed over his hair. After that, he rushed into the bathroom, where he grabbed his toothbrush and a huge slab of toothpaste and quickly brushed his teeth. He then returned in front the Town Hall's door where Ying had been standing.

"I'm so proud of you," Ying said as Rahi rushed out Town Hall.

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**Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this! Please feel free to leave a review; I know there must be a lot of room for improvement!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hi, guys! :D I don't think many people have actually read Chapter 1, but I decided to go ahead and write Chapter 2, since I was in the writing mood today. This chapter is shorter than my last chapter, but I think the rest of the details can wait for the next chapter. **

**Anyway, this chapter has a lot of dialogue, and it may not be that fun to read. Still, it has some details that I thought would be more important later on in the story. Oh, and Bluebell fans, don't worry-you'll get to hear all about Bluebell in Chapter 4. I hope you guys enjoy reading this!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Harvest Moon series. This is for entertainment purposes only.  
**

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Rahi rushed out the Town Hall. Just as he made it outside, he stopped for a moment. He was not quite sure just where exactly he was going to go first. Furthermore, what would he tell these people? Was he really expecting the villagers to have some sympathy for him? Absolutely not. He looked straight ahead at Gombe's Seeds. "Looks like this is my first stop," he mumbled to himself.

Rahi walked up to Gombe's Seeds. It still looked the same as it always had. The building sat perched diagonally across from the Town Hall. In front of the building, you could see the field where Gombe and his daughter, Nori, would plant soy and wheat year-round. Rahi raised his hand to knock on the door. As he raised his hand up to the door, he noticed that his hand was suddenly shaking. He was really starting to feel tense. He knew there was something he needed to say to each one of the villagers, but he was not entirely sure just what it was he needed to say to them. Finally, Gombe answered the door.

Rahi starred up at the old man. He had a rather long mustache that hung around his lips and down to his neck. He also had beating brown eyes, much like Rahi did. Rahi then took a look at the inside of his house from where he was standing. It still looked the same as it had before; regardless of the town's slump, Nori was still managing to keep her father's house clean.

Gombe finally spoke up. "Can I help you, Mayor?" he asked.

Rahi looked up at him. "Yes Gombe, I… uh," Rahi was still at a loss for words.

"Why don't you come on in and have a seat?" Gombe suggested.

Rahi stepped inside. "Thank you very much."

"Care for a cup of tea?" Gombe offered.

"No thank you," Rahi replied, "There was actually something that I came here to talk to you about."

"Goodness be, whatever would you need to talk to me about youngster?" he asked. Then he added, "I'm sorry, I still treat you like a child. You are the mayor now, and I should treat you as such."

"No, no, call me whatever you like," Rahi insisted. Rahi then looked up from the corner of his eye and saw Nori enter the room.

Nori greeted him, "Hello there Rahi, how are things going for you?"

"Not so good, actually," he answered honestly, "There was something I came here to tell the two of you. "

"Well, what is it?" Nori questioned, "Is something the matter?"

"That's what I was about to ask you. You see, I've been in a slump since my mother died, and I haven't been fulfilling my duty as mayor. I'm terribly sorry." Somehow, the words just managed to flow from Rahi's mouth.

Nori spoke up, "It's quite alright, Rahi. It's not that you haven't been fulfilling your duties, it's just that everyone is a little overwhelmed, that's all." She then continued, "You were overwhelmed, too, right? That's why you didn't leave the Town Hall. We all just needed some time to recover. I'm sure you did too."

Nori's words of wisdom made Rahi feel much better. Nori was always nice like that. She was always able to have a special kind of genuine sympathy for anyone who was experiencing some kind of traumatic event in their life. It made Rahi wonder why someone as nice as she was still was not married.

"Thank you so much, Nori," Rahi said, "But are you sure everything's okay here?"

"Everything's fine here," Gombe said, "Nori's right. The whole village was just sad about the whole thing. You had no control over anyone's emotions. I'm sure everyone will feel much better once they go to the festival tomorrow."

"The festival?!" Rahi shouted. He had forgotten all about the festival.

"My goodness! Your first two weeks as mayor and you already forgot about the festivals!" Gombe exclaimed, "You'll have to choose participants for the cooking festival and everything. Do you think you can get that done in one day?"

"I hope I can," Rahi let out a sigh. How on Earth was he going to get all of this done on such short notice?

"If it'll help you any, I'll participate," Nori volunteered.

"You will? Thank you so much!" Rahi owed Nori big time.

"You're quite welcome," Nori replied.

"Thanks, you two. I'd better get going if I want to get enough participants for the festival," Rahi explained as he was leaving Gombe's house.

"No problem, " Gombe answered.

Rahi then looked up and smiled at Gombe. He shut the door behind him and looked out ahead of him. "I guess I could go talk to Kana next; he's a good cook," Rahi thought to himself.

Rahi made his way past the Town Hall and the medical clinic and out to Kana's shop. His pet shop was a nice place, and it had a homey feel to it. Rahi knocked on the door. He waited about a minute or so, but there was no answer. "Maybe he's not home," Rahi guessed, "but where could he be during a time like this?"

Suddenly, Rahi saw Kana walking back to his shop from empty farm that was just past the shop. Kana looked ahead and noticed Rahi.

"Oh, hello there, Mayor," Kana greeted, "I'm sorry you had to wait for me to get back. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. I just wanted to welcome our new villager."

"New villager?" Rahi was stunned now. How come he didn't hear anything about this new villager? Furthermore, he was the mayor, and he was the one who was supposed to welcome the new villagers. Finally, Rahi got up the nerve to ask, "How come nobody told me about this new villager?"

"I didn't know myself until this morning," Kana answered, "I saw him loading the shipping bin this morning. I asked him if he was a traveler, and he said that he moved in the village about a week ago. I heard something about it just before…" Kana hesitated. Then he continued on saying, "Certain things happened. I think Ina was mentioning it to me. Anyway, he's a nice fella. His name's Jack."

"Oh." That was all Rahi could even think to say. Now that he thought about it, his mother did mention a new villager that was scheduled to move into that empty farmhouse at any time. It was just too bad that time came when he least expected it.

"By the way, do you have enough participants for the cooking festival tomorrow?" Kana asked. It was almost like Kana could read Rahi's mind.

"Actually, I don't. Would you mind participating?"

"I don't mind at all. I love to cook."

This pleased Rahi. "Thank you so much, Kana!"

"Not a problem. Hey, you should ask Jack to participate. He seemed really pumped when I told him about the cooking festival."

"He did? In that case, I would be more than glad to ask him."

"Great. So, do you wanna come inside? I can make us some tea or something, if you want."

"No thank you, Kana. I'd better go and introduce myself to Jack. It's a shame that I've been so negligent," The guilt was starting to get to him again. "I'm really sorry Kana."

"What? You haven't been negligent. Everything's perfectly fine here. To be honest, I was just a little shocked by the whole situation, that's all. I think the whole village has been, but don't worry about it; I'm sure things will pick up soon." It was a good thing Kana was always so happy-go-lucky.

"Thank you very much, Kana," Rahi said, "Well, I better get going now. I'm sure Jack would finally like to meet the mayor."

"Alright, see ya around, then."

Rahi left from where he was standing outside Kana's shop and had finally made it up near the shipping bin. Then, he noticed the stranger Kana was telling him about. He certainly was not bad looking; in fact, he had one of those nice and gentle looking faces. He also had these bright colored eyes. He looked far too gentle to be living as a farmer.

"Excuse me," Rahi hesitated for a bit. He had never had to greet a new villager as mayor before. Regardless of his unsettled nerves, he continued, "but are you by any chance the new villager?"

"Why yes I am," Jack replied as he continued putting some of the items he had foraged from the mountains in the shipping bin, "I'm Jack Peterson. You must be the mayor. I'm glad to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Have you been around to meet any of the villagers yet?" Rahi questioned. This would be the perfect time to give him a tour of the village.

"Actually, I haven't. Everyone has been staying inside since I moved here, so I just assumed that everyone was just busy," then he continued, "But Kana told me about what happened. I'm so sorry about that."

"No, no, it's quite fine!" Rahi insisted. He really was feeling a lot better about the whole situation after he found himself preoccupied on his first day of officially running the village. Then he asked, "Would you like me to give you a tour of the village? I was meaning to check up on everyone today anyway."

"Really? I'd love that," Jack happily answered.

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**Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading; I really hope you liked it! Please feel free to leave a review. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hi, guys! Chapter 3 is finally here! In this chapter, Jack greets an unfamiliar face. **

**I hope you guys like this!  
**

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Rahi began guiding Jack through the village. They had left from where they were standing near the shipping bin, and they had finally made their way next to Dr. Ayame's clinic. Rahi stopped for a second. He was not quite sure who he should introduce Jack to first. Ordinarily, Rahi probably would have took Jack straight to meet Gombe; he was one of the nicest people in the entire village. However, Rahi had just been to Gombe's place not too long ago, so he figured it would be best to put Gombe's house last on the list. After a brief moment of thought, he finally made up his mind.

"How about we visit Reina and Mako first?" Rahi proposed.

Jack looked at Rahi for a moment. Finally, he uttered out, "Okay." Jack was a little confused as to why Rahi would even be asking him where they should go first. It was not like he had any clue who any of the villagers were. Besides, he was just excited that he finally had the chance to meet his new neighbors.

After a short walk across the bridge, they made it to Mako's house. Jack stood in awe in front of the house. It was not anything too fancy, but it still had its own unique, elegant touch to it. It stood across a bridge and sat adjacent to an orchard. The fruit on the trees were beginning to blossom, giving the orchard an extra aesthetic appeal. Shortly after Jack began his moment of observing the scenery, Mako arrived at the front door.

"Ah, Rahi, I wasn't expecting to see you here," Mako greeted as he opened the door. He then turned and looked at Jack. "Who's your friend?"

"My name is Jack Peterson," Jack spoke up, "I just moved here."

"Nice meetin' ya," Mako responded as he took out his hand. "Come on in and make yourself at home."

"Thanks," Jack answered as he grabbed Mako's hand and gave it a good shake.

Jack and Rahi followed Mako into his home. Jack was fully aware that Rahi and Mako were having a conversation, but Jack was not paying much attention; the wide variety of plant species Mako kept in his home instantly grabbed his attention. Furthermore, this man had a tree growing inside of his home. This really struck Jack as being just a bit odd. Suddenly, Jack finally drew his attention back to their conversation.

"…Again, I'm really sorry I haven't been here to check up on you," Jack heard Rahi apologize. This really got to Jack. Rahi and Jack were the same age, yet Rahi had so much more responsibility placed on his shoulders. Jack could not imagine ever being stuck with the task of running a village by himself, especially at such a young age. Jack knew that running a village took a lot of wisdom, and he was starting to really sympathize for anyone stuck with the daunting duty of gaining years of wisdom overnight.

"Rahi, you didn't have to go to the trouble of apologizing," Mako responded. "We were just shocked about it all. I should be the one apologizing for not checking up on you. She was your mother. You're the one this village should be feeling sorry for."

"Thanks for your kind words," Rahi replied. Somehow, Rahi was feeling worse and worse as he apologized to the villagers. He was starting to get the idea that this was not the proper thing to do in this situation. Instead of drowning everyone in their own sorrow, he needed to bring them back up from the depths to get a breather from it all. Now he was really on to something.

Rahi spoke up again, "Hey Mako, is there any way that you could meet in front of the Town Hall at three P.M.?"

"Sure, I didn't have anything planned today," Mako answered. He was actually surprised at Rahi's spur-of-the-moment decision.

"Great, I'll invite all the other villagers as well. You'll be glad you came, I promise! Let's go, Jack!" Rahi exclaimed as he grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him out of Mako's house. Rahi was very excited at this point.

Rahi finally let go of Jack's arm and introduced Jack to all of the villagers. As he did so, he invited each and every one of them to the Town Hall. Although they each appeared to be somewhat confused about Rahi's motives behind this idea, they each seemed pretty enthusiastic about it. He even rushed into Gombe's shop for a second time that day, where Gombe was actually jumping up and down because he was so excited. When Rahi went to tell Yun and Ying, Ying seemed pretty pleased about Rahi's decision. Ying knew Rahi was now bound and determined to do whatever it took to restore some of the joy that the village had so suddenly lost.

By the time Rahi and Jack got done making their rounds to visit with each of the villagers, it was already two thirty in the afternoon. The sun was still shining brightly on the village, and the spring weather was absolutely perfect for the occasion. A gentle breeze starting pass through the village, as Rahi began starring up at the Town Hall. Jack began to look up as well. As he did, he began to get a sense of what was going on in Rahi's head. Jack liked to think of it metaphorically; as with every storm, there is always the sense of calm that soon follows. Jack supposed that this must have been it—Rahi was finally coming to terms with his new reality. Most importantly, he was _embracing_ it. Jack started to get a little envious at this point. He only wished that he could be as dutiful as Rahi was being. Jack was starting to feel as though the life he had been living had been a complete waste. Then, Jack's trail of thought was interrupted when Rahi began to speak.

"Oh yeah, the villagers will be here shortly. I'll be right back," Rahi said as he rushed inside the Town Hall. Jack still had no clue what kind of scheme Rahi had up his sleeve.

Just before Jack knew it, Rahi finally made his way back outside. He was carrying a large cardboard box, which looked as though it was filled to the rim.

"What's in that box?" Jack asked.

"Party stuff," Rahi answered. "I didn't give you a proper welcome when you arrived here, so I figured I'd make up for it now." He let out a huge grin.

"If I had known that, I would have-" Jack got cut off.

"No, no, I wanted to do this. I think this will make everyone happy too," Rahi explained. Jack was still feeling awkward, and even a little guilty. He really did not want to be a bother to anyone.

Jack opened up the box. Inside, there were several lanterns, as well as a few musical instruments of all kinds. Some of them looked like wooden flutes, while some almost resembled a harmonica.

"Konohana hasn't had this ceremony since my mother was just a small child," Rahi began as he was looking back on the stories his mother had told him as a child. "She said that back when she was a little girl, her father, and all of the mayors of our family before him, had this special ceremony to welcome and to honor all new-comers to our village. It gives us the chance to spend time together to listen to the music and enjoy each other's company."

Jack was at a loss of words at the moment. He could not believe that Rahi had put so much thought into this. Jack knew that Rahi was definitely mayor material, now that he was starting to come out of his slump. He finally spoke up, "It sounds like a lot of fun. I can't wait!" Jack practically shouted with excitement.

Jack began to help Rahi get everything set up. The two of them had hung the lanterns over the Town Hall for when nighttime comes. They also hung up the floral decorations, which really went well with the spring. After a few minutes of setting everything up, the villagers began to arrive, one by one, and the ceremony was ready to begin.

Gombe and Yun took turns playing the instruments. At times, they would each grab a different instrument and join to form a duet. The rest of the time, however, they just alternated between the instruments and played separately. Jack was getting to know the villagers, and he was starting to enjoy himself. Rahi and Ying were dancing together. The two of them would let out horrendously loud giggles from time to time, but it was not anything loud enough to arouse the villagers. Several of the villagers had took turns chatting with Jack, all of which who were just dying to know all about him. The villagers finally left him alone for a moment. About a minute later, Jack glanced over and noticed Kana. "I think I'll go talk to him," Jack muttered to himself as he made his way over to Kana. He had just walked a few steps when he noticed the girl standing next to him. She had long, jet black hair that was braided into three strands. Even from a distance, Jack was able to notice her deep, light blue eyes. "That must Reina," Jack thought. Jack remembered Rahi making some mention of her. Jack just thought it was too bad he did not get the chance to meet her at Mako's house. He kept looking over at the two. Kana was laughing, and he looked so full of life. Reina, on the other hand, looked a bit embarrassed, but happy, nonetheless. "I wonder if those two are together," Jack thought. "Oh well, Kana can just tell me about it whenever he feels like it. I shouldn't be nosey."

Jack looked down at his watch. It was already 7 o'clock at night. Just as he finished looking down at his watch, Jack felt a tap on the shoulder. He turned his head around and saw Nori standing behind him. Rahi was in a rush when they had went to visit with them earlier, so Jack did not get a chance to chat with her too much.

"Hello there, Jack," Nori greeted. Nori seemed to have a very gentle voice. Jack found it soothing, somehow.

"Hi there, Nori," Jack greeted back. Jack was not sure what he should chat with Nori about. There was an awkward moment of silence, as Jack struggled to think of something to say. He finally managed to blurt out _something_. "Are you having fun?"

"Why yes, I am actually," Nori answered. "Usually, the villagers only get together on festival days. It would be nice if we could all get together more often without all the hassle of a festival."

"I'm really glad you're having fun. To be honest, I was a little worried that I was causing everyone trouble," Jack responded honestly.

Nori laughed. "You're not causing any trouble, this is actually quite fun."

Just as Jack's conversation with Nori started picking up, Rahi walked up to the Town Hall entrance and got everyone's attention.

"Everyone, thank you very much for coming today," Rahi started. "I certainly have enjoyed myself, and I hope that all of you have enjoyed yourselves, as well. However, it's getting late, and we should all be heading home."

With that being said, all of the villagers began taking down the decorations. There was not much there, so everything had already been put away after just ten minutes. Once everything was put away, the villagers each said their goodbyes and began heading home. Kana and Reina both went their separate ways, and Rahi grabbed Ying by the hand and began walking her home.

Jack began walking back to his farm. He looked down at his watch again. It was only a quarter past seven. He moved his glance away from his watch and looked up at the night sky. He was not in any rush, considering he finished all of his work that afternoon. Suddenly, Jack heard some footsteps ahead of him. "Maybe it's Kana," Jack supposed. Jack had just made it next to Dr. Ayame's clinic. As he continued his walk, the footsteps began getting louder. "Is there anyone there?" Jack asked out loud. He quickly turned his head around and looked in both directions. As he looked to his left, he noticed a petite blonde. She wore her hair in two ponytails, with plaid bows. She was wearing a light green dress that reached all the way down to her ankles with a sky-blue apron; an outfit _completely_ different from what the Konohana folks wore. Most of the Konohana girls wore kimonos.

She immediately noticed Jack and uttered out, "Hi, would you happen to know if there is anywhere in this village that I can stay the night?"

Jack looked into her ocean-blue eyes. She appeared to be worried about something. He tried to think for a moment. She could not stay at his house, because he only had one twin bed. Ordinarily, she would have been able to stay at the Town Hall, but it was still a mess. The other villagers did not have any room for her, either. He finally answered her, "I'm sorry, but I don't. I just moved here about a week ago, and today is the first day I've actually gotten the chance to get a good look around the town."

"Oh, I'm sorry to have bothered you, then," the girl responded as she began to walk off.

"Hey, do you have anywhere to go for the night?" Jack asked.

The girl stopped. "Not exactly, I could always go back home, but-" Jack interrupted her.

"Well, you really shouldn't be out in the middle of the night like this! It's dangerous!" Jack shouted. Jack figured anybody would have been crazy to pull such a stunt.

"I'm sorry," the girl said as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Jack was started to feel a little guilty. He did not honestly think that he would make her cry. "Oh, please don't cry. I won't yell at you like that again."

"It's okay. Since there really isn't any place for me to stay around here, I guess I should go on back home now." The tears quickly began to fade away as she began to walk off again.

"Wait! How far away is your house? I could walk you back home if you wanted," Jack offered.

"Oh, that would be too much trouble. Besides, my house is an hour away," she answered.

"That's okay, it's just a little past seven now. I could take you home and get back to my place before ten o'clock no problem," Jack assured her.

"Oh…" the girl hesitated. "Well, I don't even know you anyway. What if you were some… pervert, or something?"

Jack blushed. She seemed like such a sweet and innocent girl. She had somewhat of a high-pitched voice, so Jack had just took her as the ideal "good girl" who would never, in anyone's dreams, accuse anyone of being some perverted psycho.

"Okay," Jack started. "My name is Jack Peterson. I run that farm just above Kana's pet shop, and I just moved here about a week ago. Now, we can save the chit chat for daylight hours."

"Oh, fine!" The girl yelled as she grabbed Jack by the arm and began leading him to her house.

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**Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! Please feel free to write a review; feedback of all forms is helpful!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Hello, everyone! :D Sorry it took me a little while to get this chapter uploaded-I've been so busy lately! Anyway, my schedule has pretty well been packed, so it may take me a little longer to update. I'm so sorry about that! I'll try to update at least once every week, if possible. **

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After the girl stubbornly accept Jack's offer, the two began walking side by side to her home. The two did not walk too slow, but they did manage not to get in too much of a rush either. As continued to make their way toward the mountain, Jack could not help but look at her. There was just something about her that was compelling; was it her attitude? Her unusual clothes? Her looks?

As Jack kept looking at her, he was dying to know her name. Yet, he was hesitant to ask. Would it really be a wise idea to ask someone who appeared to be so uncomfortable what their name was? Oh well. Jack finally mustered up the courage to ask her what he name was.

"Would you mind telling me your name?" Jack asked as politely as he knew how. He was not exactly sure what was wrong with this girl, but he knew not to do anything too cunning.

"It's Cheryl," she answered. To Jack's surprise, she did not seem as upset as she was just a few moments ago.

They continued their walk up the mountain. They did so in silence, for Jack was scared that Cheryl did not feel like saying too much. At some point, Jack moved his gaze away from Cheryl and onto the path they were taking to her home—he was not about to get lost on his way back to Konohana. It was getting darker outside, and the two had finally reached the mountain's peak. Then, Cheryl finally started to open up a little.

"I'm sorry I caused you all this trouble," she began as they continued their walk. "It's just that I've always relied so much on my brother, and I just wanted to prove to him that I could make it on my own."

Jack looked back up at Cheryl. He was starting to feel just a bit sorry for her. Jack knew that she must have been desperate, since she left in the middle of the night like this.

Jack spoke up, "It's not a problem at all, but there isn't anything wrong with relying on other people every now and then."

"But Jack, you don't' understand," Cheryl started to explain. "I've relied on him so much now that he won't even give me the chance to do anything for myself. He's always the one who takes care of all the animals at the shop, then he comes inside and cleans the house. After that, he even _cooks_. I don't even know how to cook one meal, because he has never given me the chance to."

Jack understood where she was coming from, but he was fully aware that this was a problem of misunderstanding between the two. "I understand what you're saying, but you've gotta put yourself in your brother's shoes," Jack began. "He just worries about you, because he cares about you. He thinks that he's obligated to do all of those things. It's just like how a farmer is supposed to feed his animals. If he doesn't feed his animals, they'll die. He feels that if he doesn't do all of those things for you, then you may not be happy."

"But what should I tell him?" Cheryl questioned.

"You don't have to tell him anything. He'll get the message once he sees that you're not satisfied. In fact, I bet he'll back off some starting tomorrow, since you tried to leave home tonight," Jack assured her.

"Really?" Cheryl asked as a smile began to emerge onto her face.

"Absolutely," Jack answered. He was positive of it.

The two continued to talk to each other all the way down the mountain path. They talked about everything from the foods they like to the little minute details of their childhood. At times, they would both let out these horrendous laughs. They were really enjoying each other's company.

After a while of chit chat while walking down the mountain, the two finally made it to Bluebell's entrance. Jack had heard of this village, but he had not yet visited there. He did, however, get a chance to meet the mayor before he moved to Konohana. He found Jack along the mountain's path and was trying to convince him to move to Bluebell. Jack thought Bluebell seemed like a nice place to live, but he had already made plans with Ina to move to Konohana prior to that.

As the two continued towards Bluebell's entrance, they both heard footsteps as a tall shadow approached them. Then, the "shadow" finally decided to reveal himself.

"Cheryl! Where in the Goddess' blazes have you been? Don't you know I've been worried sick!" the man shouted at Cheryl. It was obvious to Jack who this was. He shouted some more, "And who's this? Running off with some man? What's the big idea? Do you _wanna_ get yourself killed?"

"Look, Ash," Cheryl started screaming at him. "This man was kind enough to offer to walk me home, since there was nowhere I could stay in Konohana. Furthermore-" Ash cut her off.

"Konohana? Of all the places you could have went, you chose Konohana? What a joke!" Suddenly, Ash's blowout at Cheryl was interrupted by the crashing sounds of a horse's trot.

"Hey, ya'll better come quick! There's an emergency!" Jack heard a redneck girl scream. It was far too dark for Jack to even get a good look at her.

"What's going on?" Ash questioned. It was almost as if he had completely forgotten about the argument he was having with Cheryl.

"There's a fire! Come on!" The redneck was shouting.

Ash and Cheryl rushed behind the girl and her horse. Although Jack had never been to this village before, he felt obligated to be there just in case there was _something_ he could do. He would have felt horrible for leaving during a crisis.

Jack followed behind them, but he did not have much of an idea as to where they were headed. It was too dark to read any of the signs, so he had no clue what he was running past or who he was running past, for that matter.

After what felt like only just seconds of running, the four of them finally came to a stop in front of a two-story building. As Jack looked up at the building, all he could do was stand there in awe. There was a firing blaze coming from atop the roof, as the smoke continued to penetrate into the air.

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**Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading. I really hope you liked it! I know this was a shorter chapter than the previous ones, but I felt like a lot happened in this chapter, and I didn't want a single chapter to be too overwhelming (if that makes any sense). Please feel free to write a review; all feedback is helpful! ^_^**


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